The Dragon's Blade
by Cuirlfox369
Summary: My life was fine before I was a princess. But things have changed again. I've been captured by pirates twice- I think- and now I am on The Dragon's Blade, a pirate ship with an all female crew. Is this freedom or downfall?   Liliten  BelaLiech I own nothi
1. The Life of a Lily

The Dragon Blade Chapter One: The Life of a Lily

_Dear Diary,_

_Shining walls and polished floors. This prison is filled with diamonds and jewels, but even if the walls shine and shimmer, it will always be a prison._

_ My full title is Princess Liliten Zwingili of Reindori. My life was simple at one time, when I was just Liliten. The days were easy-going and slow. My brother Vash spent half the day with me, the other half training with our Uncle Vash, the king of Reindori at the time, when he was around. Some would claim they were so close because my brother had been named after our uncle, but I watched them. A name can't bring people together like that._

_ Everything changed when he died._

_ That funeral was the first time I had ever seen my big, strong brother cry. I was only three, but I remember it clearly. I took his hand and gave it a small squeeze. It was the only thing I could do._

_ Our uncle had no children, so his brother, our Grandfather Loliton who I was named after, took the throne. A month after the funeral, he was crowned king. Only after that did things truly begin to change._

_ For weeks at a time I wouldn't see my parents. They never did take much interest in me or my brother, but once they were in line for the throne things got much worse. They spent all their time at parties making friends with all those in the upper class of the kingdom. Often they would take Vash, who would be king one day. Even so, my brother always tried to be with me when he could._

_ But for when Vash wasn't there, Grandfather was. At noon, after my lessons, I would knock on the door of the throne room. No matter who was there or what work needed to be done, he would let me sit on his lap and tell him about my day. On days when he wasn't busy Grandfather would tell me a story or we would play games._

_ He knew what lay ahead for me. He knew there was a war going on. But he also knew that talk of war and politics was not good for a little girl._

_ Years went by and I began to see Grandfather weaken. His movements became slower and he began to look more fragile and less like the soft, strong bear I knew as a little kid. It tugged at my heart to watch him grow older, but I knew I couldn't do anything about it. The time I spent with him changed. We played card games and chess instead of tag and hide-and-seek. I talked with him more and more, as if knowing but not yet accepting that his time was nearing an end._

_ I was thirteen when that day came. I walked into the throne room, only to find that he wasn't there. The maids explained to me what had happened. Grandfather had collapsed just after breakfast. At the current moment, he was in bed. Doctors couldn't help him, so it was just a matter of time. I went right to his chambers and sat by his side. I talked like it was just another day for us, but tears welled up in my eyes with every word._

_ "The weather is nice today. Not a single cloud in sight and-"_

_ "Liliten, please don't cry. I need you to listen carefully, now. Be happy. If you don't have a happy life, then what was ever the point of living? Let no one tell you otherwise." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Things are about to get much harder for you, I'm afraid. Ask Vash to tell you everything. Better you hear it from him than anyone else." I nodded, fighting off tears. "Good. Remember, be happy." With that he closed his eyes, and never opened them again. At the funeral, Vash held my hand just like I had held his all those years ago._

_ That night, I told Vash what Grandfather Loluton had said. He explained to me everything Grandfather had never told me._

_ To begin with, Reindori has been in a war with Camiera for more than thirty years. It was named the Oceanic War because it's all been between ships, neither getting close enough to land in order to use troops. It's all been a back and forth struggle for land. It all started once the two countries had taken over all of the small countries on their own continents. Wanting to expand, they turned to each other and the war began._

_ Then Vash told me how our father, now the king, planned to end it. He wanted to wed me to the Camiera prince, someone I had never even seen. Even so, the preparations were being made. I would be married as soon as I turned sixteen. At the time I thought that three years was long enough._

_ It passed by all too quick._

_ And now the day is here, which is why I write now, dear diary. You are Vash's present to me this year, and you came with a lovely purple ribbon. I stole away from the party in order to write this. I hear footsteps though. It's Vash; I know because I smell money and gun powder. As strange as it is, I find the smell of these things comforting._

_ Before I go, as I'm sure brother will try to take me back to the party, I just want to say what I wish for. I wish that I could live freely. No more polished floors and shining walls of a prison. I just want to see the world._

_ That's all for now, dear diary._

_ ~ Liliten Zwingili_

_

* * *

_

A blonde with short hair and a pink dress closed a small, brown book just as another blonde walked in. Prince Vash was dressed in the Reindori uniform and looked as handsome as ever, in Liliten's opinion.

"Liliten, what are you doing here? It's your party, ya know," he said.

Liliten nodded. "But I can't see much to celebrate.. And I just wanted to write a bit in the journal you gave me."

Vash sighed, never really the one who was able to scold his sister. "I know you don't want to go back out there, but you have to. It's your last day at the castle, so please try to make it a good one."

"Why? It's the same as it was yesterday. The other castle will be different, but I'll still be locked in it," she said.

"Lili, please-"

"There's a lot of things I haven't seen and now I'll never get to see them. I don't know what a beach is like, I don't know what a tree's bark feels like, and- and-"

"Lili," Vash said, using Liliten's nickname, "I know you don't like this, and if I could trade places with you, I would. But I can't. I know it isn't fair, but I'm still just a prince. Neither of us can do anything at the moment. So please, don't let my last day with my little sister be a bad one."

Liliten nodded sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Now let's go enjoy your party," he said, placing her tiara in her hair with the purple ribbon. Vash left the room, and Liliten took one look in the mirror. _The girl staring back at me... I'm sorry Grandfather, but she's not happy.. She'll try to be, but it's very hard to be right now..._ She shook her head and followed her brother back into the ball room, leaving all signs of sadness behind besides the look in her green eyes. Liliten faded as the princess everyone wanted to see took her place.

_Yes, these shinning walls and polished floors may be pretty, but it will always be a prison..._

_

* * *

_

The next morning, Liliten sat in the carriage headed towards the dock. Vash sat next to her, explaining a few last things as they traveled down the cobblestone streets.

"Your luggage has already been loaded onto the ship, _The Battle Axe_. It should take four weeks to get from here to Camiera. I'll write you as soon as I can. The messenger hawk was trained to find the ship you're getting on and-

"Brother..." Liliten said, turning to him, "I can't thank you enough for being my friend after Grandfather died. I'll miss you. More than anything I believe you'll make a great king."

"Liliten-"

"Next time I see you, this war will be over. And that's what this is all about, right?"

"Liliten... I'll miss you too. Please try..try to be happy."

A small blonde man opened the carriage door, trying to look as dignified as possible with a tiny white dog running around his feet. "Princess, the ship is ready to leave."

Liliten nodded. "Goodbye Vash." She stepped out of the carriage.

"Good luck... and good bye, sister."

Vash watched as the ship sailed away, and only when it was completely out of sight did he order the carriage to take him home. He took one last glance at the sea as he left to go back to the castle. _Lili.. Please find the happiness you're looking for._

_

* * *

_

The blonde man led Liliten up the boardwalk and onto the ship. The feel of wood underneath her shoes felt strange, but nice. Aboard _The Battle Axe_, the blonde man introduced her to captain before leaving. He had blonde, spiky hair and a long black coat.

"Hey there. I'm Captain Mathias. Lemme introduce you to the crew," he said. He pointed to a tall man with glasses securing the ropes. He glared at Mathias for a moment before continuing with his work. _I get the feeling that that look was justified._

"That's Co-captain Berwald. He looks scary, but he's nothing really."

"D'n't p'sh 't, M'th's," Berwald said.

"Did I mention he speaks like he's eating rocks," Mathias laughed. "Don't look at me like that Berwald, you know I'm just joking."

"Su-san," the blonde man from earlier said as he ran up the much, much taller man. "Could you get Peter out of the crow's nest? He won't listen to me!"

Liliten looked up from where she was standing on the deck. Lo and behold there was a boy in the crow's nest. _He looks younger than me! How could he possibly climb all the way up there? For that matter, how is he gonna get down?_

"The little guy right there is Tino. He calls Berwald 'Su-san.' It has something to do with the name of the town Berwald lived in but I really don't know. The little brat in the crow's nest is Tino and Berwald's love-child," Mathias explained.

Liliten exclaimed, "Eh?"

Yet another blonde with a silver cross in his hair hit Mathias in the back of his head. "First of all, don't say things like that to a princess. Secondly, Peter isn't their actual child," he scolded.

"That was mean, Norge. It's not like I totally lied."

'Norge' turned to Liliten. "I'm Nicholai, Princess."

"Nice to meet you. You can just call me Liliten. May I ask why Peter is on this ship then if he's not related to anyone here?"

"His parents died out at sea. His brother didn't know how to handle him, so he handed him over to Berwald, who is a friend of the family. After that, Berwald and Tino took to Peter right away."

"Anyway, Norge, when is lunch gonna be ready?" Mathias asked.

"Eirik and I are working on it, but I had to come up here and make sure you weren't make too big a fool of yourself. Now show the princess to her room before I toss all your beer overboard," he said.

Mathias stuck his tongue out at Nicholai before leading Liliten below deck. "Our rooms are down here. That little tin over there is Hanatamago's bowl."

"Hanatamago?" she asked.

"He's Tino and Berwald's dog. Cute little thing as long as he doesn't trip me. Takes after Berwald like that I guess. Anyway, your room is right at the end of the hall. Make yourself at home. I'll send Tino down to get you when lunch is done."

"Okay. Thank you," she said. After Mathias left, she entered the room. A chest full of her clothes and various other items were against one wall. A mirror was placed above the chest, on the opposite side of the room to the small porthole. Liliten walked over to the bed that was set below the small window. She looked out at the never-ending ocean before grabbing a pen.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_ I am currently on the ship called_ The Battle Axe._ I like the crew. They aren't like the maids at the castle. They don't treat me like I'll break like ice if I get near anything remotely dangerous. They don't act like the nobles and treat me like I'm some means of getting them higher in the world. I think I'm going to like my trip to Camiera. It's like the beautiful sunset that occurs before the dark night._

_ Even if it doesn't last, for a time, I think I could be happy._

_ ~Liliten Zwingili_

_

* * *

_

**I'm back pplz! Hahaha! It feels great to post something again!**

**First off, plz don't mind the whole Lili and Vash deal. This is a BelaLiech story, but I had to toss in the brotherly/sisterly love deal.**

**Abviously a fiction story. Finally I can work on what I'm best at! HAHA! Finally I can say screw to the laws of physics, forget all levels of 'realistic' and let's see what we can do here!**

**To those who read Flowers, this story is gonna be so much better. You're gonna love it. I promise.**

**To any of those who haven't, you're gonna love it too.**

**This time, there is no schedule, so just keep an eye out for posts. Secondly, tons of couples will be popping up, but again BelaLiech is still the main thing here.**

**Lastly, you guys will NEVER guess who the Camiera prince is! Bwahahahaha-cough-hack-cough.**

**Stupid sinuses. -_-**

**Byes for now~ :3**


	2. The Fairy's Ambush

The Dragon's Blade Ch. 2: The Fairy's Ambush

_ Dear Diary,_

_ I have been on _The Battle Ax_ two weeks. The crew has been very patient about all my questions, adding in their own stories from time to time. Su-san/Berwald doesn't talk much, but lets me watch him repair things- you wouldn't believe how much stuff the captain breaks. Tino usually tells me about saunas and Hanatamago. Nicholai recounts stories about trolls and fairies. He says that he sees them, and will point to where one is at the time, but I never see anything. Even so, I listen to the stories gratefully. It reminds of the tales Grandfather used to tell me when I was younger. Eirik describes to me some of the things he did when he was a child, most involving volcanoes or his puffin. And finally, there's Mathias. He tells me stories about pirates. Surprisingly, they're very realistic._

_ Peter hasn't talked to me much. He talks to everyone a bit, but he seems lonely sometimes. I can't blame him. He's only twelve and on a ship without any other children. It's a type of loneliness I suppose I can sympathize with._

_ Still, I may just be poking my nose into a place it doesn't belong._

_ Only two more weeks till we reach Camiera. I think I'll ask at dinner if they know anything about the prince. I can't help but wonder what he's like. Is he tall? Masculine? Skinny? Fat? I don't even know his last name, and in a few weeks, I'll be married to him._

_ Here's hoping the crew can tell me something._

_ ~Liliten Zwingili

* * *

_

_The Dark Fairy_ is the most feared ship on the seas. The ship itself is a monster, huge and practically unbeatable. The crew itself was strong, stealthy, deadly, and yet currently very bored.

"Iggy~" Alfred whined. "When are we gonna do something?"

"Shut it git," Captain Arthur replied, obviously not in a good mood. But then, Alfred could never really read the atmosphere, something he and Feliciano still thought was a book somewhere.

"He has a point for once, mon cheri. All we've done these past few weeks is sail around, eat, sleep, and drink," Francis pointed out.

"I'm working on it, okay? Now leave me alone, frog!"

"Sheesh, why are you so grumpy? Run out of that terrible tea?" Alfred asked.

As the three quarreled, Gilbert and Matthew watched from the side. Matthew shook his head before turning to Gilbert, who was chugging down a beer.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be drinking, eh?" he asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Nope," Gilbert said. "Birdie, beer is always awesome, like me. Ain't that right, Gilbird?" The small yellow bird in Gilbert's hair chirped happily. "See, Gilbird agrees."

Kumajiro, who was in Matthew's arms, looked up. "Who?"

"Matthew, the one who feeds you, Kumajana," he answered, yet again forgetting half of his own pet's name.

Gilbert finished off his beer. "Well, I'm gonna go to the kitchen and get another one, you coming?"

Matthew shrugged before following the silverette. When they entered the kitchen, a partially chubby, tan man with dreadlocks came running up to the two. "Alfred, you-"

"It's Matthew! Don't hit me!" he said, holding his hands up in defense.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were Alfred...again.."

The shorter blonde nodded. "It's fine, Alejandro."

Gilbert shook his head. "Dude, how can you mistake him for that pig-head? He's shorter, skinnier, his hair is different, his eyes are different and Alfred doesn't own a talking polar bear."

"Hey, they're twins! It's an honest mistake!" he countered.

"Maybe, if you're ten miles away!" Gilbird chirped angrily.

"Oh maple.." Matthew muttered.

As the two argued, Matthew watching silently, praying Gilbert would remember his beer, Alejandro would realize he wasn't smoking anything and they would both just walk away.

With how things were going, it was unlikely the two would notice any time soon.

Two others left the kitchen at the sound of the argument. One was Hong, a boy with short black hair and brown eyes. He seemed short compared to the tall man next to him, whose hair was slicked back slightly with a few strands out of place. He had a band-aid over his nose and a koala in his arms.

"Please keep that animal out of my snacks, Zane," Hong said.

"Oi, Monty only ate a little bit."

"He ate a whole bag!"

Zane leaned against the ship's rail. "Fine, fine. I promise he won't do it again."

Hong rolled his eyes. _I highly doubt that._ He joined the other against the rail. "Anyway, have you gotten any letters from your sister lately?"

"Why ask that? You know she hasn't talked to me in years. Not after the fight we had.." Zane said. "How about you? Have you gotten any letters from your cousins in Camiera?"

"No. Yao and Yong Soo have had trouble getting anything to me lately. Every letter has to go through the royal guards. I can't say I wasn't expecting this sooner or later. I mean, they work as chefs at the royal palace," Hong said. "But they still send me my snacks, so I can't say I care too much."

_ He's lying. He misses his cousins as much as I miss my sister..._ Zane said none of these things, however.

Behind them the Vargas twins, Ludwig, Antonio, Kiku, and Heracles walked by.

"Ve~ Hong, Zane, the captain's calling a meeting," Feliciano said.

"Maybe the tea bastard finally has something for us to do."

"Lovi~" Antonio cooed. "You shouldn't say that kind of thing about the captain."

"I can say whatever I want, tomato bastard!" Lovino yelled.

Zane and Hong melted into the group, which in turn joined the rest of the crew. Arthur stood on the platform, overlooking his crew.

"Listen up! There's another ship on the horizon." There were a few sighs of "Finally!" before Arthur continued. "It's _The Battle Ax_ Prepare to ambush, understood?"

"Whoa," Gilbert said, "aren't we on good terms with them?"

"Not when they bear the Reindori symbol. Either they lost their ship, or have gone all soft on us. Either way, we need to get whatever is on that ship.

"Kiku, lower the flag. Zane, Ludwig, Gilbert, be ready in case we need back-up. Matthew and Hong, get a dinghy ready. I'll tell you our exact plan on the way there. Alfred, steer the ship toward _The Battle Ax_. Everyone else, get below deck and don't draw any attention to the ship. Are there any questions?"

"Ve~ Can I have some past-"

"No! Now get to work!" As the crew scattered, Arthur walked over to the dinghy. He stepped in it as Hong and Matthew lowered the small boat.

"If this is an ambush, why choose us?" Hong asked.

"Simple. It is possible, but I doubt that Mathias was stupid enough to lose his ship. We simply need to take them by surprise. You and Matthew are the silent and fast, two qualities perfect for this job. We simply need to restrain them, without causing any harm to them. They are friends of ours after all. Should all go well, we'll have the ship before sunset."

* * *

Liliten sat in the dining hall. Dinner had ended, but she herself was still sipping on a glass of water, in between her questions of course. Around her the crew sat, telling the usual stories. Finally, she remembered the question that was dangling in her mind. She set down her glass and looked at Mathias.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something," she said politely.

"Go ahead, shoot," he replied.

"Do you know anything about the Camiera prince?"

The whole crew seemed to stare at her for a moment.

"You don't know anything about him?" Nicholai asked.

Liliten shook her head. "I've never met him, nor have I even seen a portrait of him."

"I wish we could help," Tino said, pity in his eyes, "but only two ships dare to cross between Camiera and Reindori frequently."

"Which ones?" she asked.

"_Th' D'rk F'iry_ and _Th' Dr'g'n's Bl'de_," Berwald answered.

"They don't want to come across _The Dark Fairy._ They _can't_ come across _The Dragon's Blade,_" Mathias added. "The Fairy's too strong to beat, and they'll take on any ship that crosses their path."

"But the captain's still a jerk," Peter mumbled.

"Do you know anything more about it?" Liliten asked.

"Rumor has it that they have a guy who can disappear, three attack bears, and several strong enough to take down 'Su-san' over there," Mathias said.

"You can't ignore the Dragon though. It's the fastest ship you'll never see. They take whatever they want and are gone before you notice that it's not there." Nicholai said. "For a band of lady pirates, they definitely know what they're doing."

"Pirates?" _Pirates only exist in stories, right?_

"Who else would risk going against Reindori and Camiera?" Eirik replied.

Mathias shrugged. "Anyway, we should get back to work. We have a few last things to finish up before we call it a night. Norge, stay here and try to answer all of Liliten's questions." Nicholai rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

As the rest of them went to their individual tasks, Tino walked below deck to feed Hanatamago. After a few minutes of walking, he began to hear a second pair of... footsteps? Tino stopped and listened carefully. Just one extra step resounded in the wooden hallway. Instantly he swung around... and faced nothing but an corridor.

"Must be my imagination..." he mumbled. The blonde turned around and looked directly into the barrel of a gun. A blonde with a polar bear stood in front of him, one hand on the trigger.

"On the ground, hands in the air," Matthew said.

Tino did as told, but glanced at his room, the door open just wide enough. "Flower-Egg~"

A tiny white blur flew out of Tino's room, instantly sinking its teeth into Matthew's leg. Kumajiro hopped out of Matthew's grasp and swatted the dog away from his master, sending poor Hanatamago against the wall. Even so, the small distraction allowed Tino the one moment he needed to pull out a small ax and hold it to Matthew's neck.

"I still have the gun pointed at you," he pointed out. "If you do slice my throat, I'll send a bullet through your head."

"Fine, but if you shoot first, the rest of the crew will be down here to kill you... or worse." Tension practically bounced off the walls. Even Kumajiro and Hanatamago seemed to be at a standoff. _There has to be a way out of this._ So concentrated on his current situation, Tino didn't realize that the two weren't alone until a knife was pressed ever so gently to the back of his head.

"I have a better solution. You drop the ax and let Matthew here tie you up."

Tino laughed bitterly as he dropped the ax and held his hands in the air. "Long time to see Arthur."

"We're not here for tea, so be a good boy, Tino, and call Berwald here for us."

"An if I refuse?" he asked.

Arthur leaned over and looked Tino in the eye. "You're a cute boy, Tino. I would hate to have to kill you."

Tino nodded hesitantly. "Berwald! Could you come down here? I need help feeding Hanatamago!" _This is good. How could I possibly need help feeding Hanatamago? Plus, Su-san will notice that I didn't say 'Su-san' and know something's wrong and-_

"Y's, T'n'..." Berwald said as he stepped around the corner, trailing off once he saw Matthew, Arthur with his tied up "wife."

"Oh Su-san.." Tino sighed.

Arthur smiled and held the knife to Tino's neck. "On the ground, Berwald, and hold still while Matthew ties you up."

Once he too was restrained, Arthur turned to Matthew. "Watch these two. The others should be here soon. Once they do get here, take them above deck and meet up with Hong."

"What about you?" he asked.

Arthur smiled and walked toward the stairs. "Let's just say it's time I had tea with the captain."

* * *

Eirik Hansen was the reticent type, less out of lack of something to say and more out of feeling like a fifth wheel. Today was no exception as he was stuck with dish duty- again- with only a sleeping puffin there to help him.

"I don't see why Peter can't do this, or Tino for that matter," he mumbled, unaware of the approaching enemy. Hong held a knife to the back of Eirik's neck.

"Hands in the air, and turn around slowly," the slightly shorter of the two said.

"Can I finish this one pot first?" he asked calmly.

"No, now turn around," Hong said. Eirik held his hands in the air, one holding a pot, and turned to face Hong. "Drop the pot," he ordered.

"If you say so." Eirik turned to pot over, spilling dirty, soapy water over Hong. The pot, which fit snugly on his head, soon followed.

Eirik grabbed the nearest items that could pass as weapons, which happened to be a pan and a kitchen knife. As Hong pulled the pot off and wiped the water from his eyes, Eirik leaped as far away from the other as he could.

As Hong lunged after him, he called out for his brother, "Nicholai!"

* * *

Said brother was currently wondering how many questions one girl could ask. Liliten asked everything from what an owl looked like to what a seashell felt like. He was in the middle of explaining what beaches were like when Eirik called. _That doesn't sound good._ Nicholai instantly glanced at Liliten. "Go hide in the closet over there. Lock it and don't let anyone in unless it's one of us, understood?"

"Wha-why?" she asked, truly confused.

"Don't ask, just do. I need to go help Eirik." With that, he ran into the kitchen to aid his brother.

In said kitchen, it was turning into a fight with knives as weapons and a pot and a pan as their shields. Hong would lunge forward with the knife, Eirik would dodge or let the pan take the blow. Refusing to turn his back on the enemy and being unable to dodge very far in the space, the silver-white blonde found himself being pushed back. The trouble with this was that he failed to notice the small panda waiting atop a kitchen shelf. Nicholai walked in just as the panda saw that Eirik was close enough to pounce on. Eirik himself fell forward, dropping his knife and pan. Hong, reacting with instant reflexes, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him around to face Nicholai. He held the knife to Eirik's throat.

"If you know what's good for him, you'll surrender without a fight," he said, glaring at the blonde.

Nicholai glared back but complied. He held his hands in the air. "The captain will stop y-"

"The captain," a blonde with a band-aid over his nose and a koala said, "can't take on a whole ship of pirates."

"Took you long enough," Hong said.

Zane smiled. "You're just impatient." He noticed the state of Hong's clothes. "Why are you soaking wet?"

"Just help me tie them up," he replied. Zane shrugged and started tying up Nicholai. "Heard anything from Arthur yet?"

"Nah, but I wouldn't worry. Ole Eyebrows can handle himself, trust me."

* * *

Mathias was drinking a mug of beer at his desk when Arthur strode into the captain's quarters like a shadow, dark and silent. Mathias looked up from some maps as the other captain spoke.

"Long time no see Mathias," he said.

"Oh, Arthur. It has been a while hasn't it? You want a beer?" Mathias offered.

"Sorry," he replied, taking a seat across from the other, "but I didn't come here for drinks. Mathias, my friend, I believe you have some explaining to do."

* * *

Alfred looked at the four people tied to the mast. "Dude! We did great!"

"Alfred, you didn't do anything," Matthew said as Gilbert bandaged the dog bite on his calf.

"So?" Matthew just shook his head. While the others celebrated, Francis was following the smell of something...sweet.

"Perfume?" he mused as he followed the smell to the mess hall. A half-full glass of water sat on the table. _Mathieu searched the rooms, and Hong checked the kitchen, so the only place no one looked is here._ He stooped over and looked under the table. No one. He glanced around the room. That was when Francis spotted the closet. The blonde walked across the room and looked at the simple door. He reached forward and tried turning the doorknob. _Locked!_

He looked around and saw Ludwig walking by, carrying a keg of beer to the deck. "Ludwig!"

"What is it, Francis? I have work to do, you know," the masculine blonde replied.

"You're the mechanic. Unlock this door, will you?"

He set the keg on the ground carefully. "A closet? Why should I unlock a closet?"

Francis sighed, "Well it must be locked for a reason, mon cheri."

Ludwig rolled his eyes and muttered something about Francis and cuckoo clocks before grabbing his one of his tools and sticking it into the keyhole. After a few twists and turns, a small click signaled that the lock was no more. Ludwig opened the door and peered inside. From the corner of the dark closet, two frightened green eyes stared back.

* * *

Mathias grew serious. "And what is it I have to explain?"

"Explain to me why there haven't been any ships lately, and why your ship is bearing the Reindori symbol. Choose your words carefully, because you know I don't take too kind to traitors," Arthur replied.

"The ships you take Arthur are full-fledged war ships. Does this ship look like it could take on one of those? No. We tried raiding small towns, but they were worse off than we were. The others wanted to keep trying, sail farther south or north, but I told them that it was the same everywhere else, even in Camiera. They knew I was right. So we swallowed any pride we had left and signed up for the Reindori navy. Just by luck did we arrive at the same time they needed a small ship to sail to Camiera.

"They finally intend to end the war. A Reindori princess is on this ship. She's sailing to Camiera for an arranged marriage with the prince. That's why you haven't seen any ships; they've all gone home. This damned war is finally going to be over."

Arthur nodded. "A princess, hm? Now that could end both our troubles."

Mathias smirked. "Do explain."

"Both countries need her alive. If we ransom her off to both of them, we'll reap double what we normally could. They'll pay any price for her, I'm sure."

"There's a catch, I'm sure," Mathias said, half-jokingly.

"You and your crew must join mine. We have enough space, and enough food."

"And if I refuse?"

Arthur smiled dangerously. "You can't."

"Do I get to keep my beer?"

"Mostly."

"Deal." Mathias stood up and headed to the door followed by Arthur.

As soon as the two were out the door, Arthur was back to barking orders. "Alfred, cut those four loose! They're part of our crew now. The rest of you, carry anything you can over to the Fairy!"

Ludwig and Francis walked above deck, the taller of the two carrying the kicking, screaming princess. "Let me go! Let me go!" she cried. Arthur walked over to the girl and looked at her closely.

"She's a princess alright. Only a royal would have hands that have never seen a single day of work," he said to himself. "Ludwig, Zane, take her to the prisoner's cell. I'll explain everything later."

Arthur stepped back to see everyone at work. _Good, but I feel like I'm forgetting something..._

"DESO YO!" Peter screamed as he jumped off the crow's nest. He landed safely on top of Arthur, who was now on his back, his middle partially crushed. "_THAT_ was for abandoning me, desu yo!" the blonde boy said before standing up, stomping once on Arthur's stomach, and proudly carrying his things over to _The Dark Fairy_.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_ You, a candle, and a pen are the only things I currently own besides the clothes I wear now. I can barely see by the small candle provided, and there are no windows here for the last bit of sunlight to come in through, so I'll try to make this quick- that and I can barely believe what has happened myself._

_ To put it bluntly, I have been captured by pirates._

_ ~Liliten Zwingili

* * *

_

**Long! Chapter is long! I thought about splitting it, but decided not to.**

**I hope/think this will be the longest chap besides the ending. It was not originally planned to be this long- I mean, the rough draft took a good bit of pages but I was hoping that it would just be my too big, sloppy handwriting... apparently I was wrong.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed what I and my sis dubbed "Battle of the Ukes" between Matthew and Tino. I love Berwald, I really do, but he and Tino have the tendency to put their foot in their mouths every now and again.**

**For some reason, I kept picturing a Hong/Iceland moment when the panda pushed Eirik over, but as you can see that didn't happen. Don't worry, Eirik will be with someone by the end of this story if I have anything to say about it. **

**I'm sure some of you were wondering where Peter was at some point during the chapter... I hope the skit at the end cleared things up. XD Sorry Iggy, but you had that one comin. Was the skit really important to the plot? Not really, but it was hilarious and Peter deserved his moment. (He will have more, don't worry.)**

**That's all for now, and remember, reviews are love!**


	3. A Prince's Heart

The Dragon's Blade Chapter 3: A Prince's Heart

_To the royal family of Reindori:_

_ We have your beloved Princess Liliten. We also know why she was so far from home in the first place. We shall safely send her to Camiera for the exact amount of 100,000 rins and we suggest you be quick about it. If we don't have the money before the beginning of winter, the princess shall be slowly and painfully killed. Try not to take too long; we're dreadfully impatient._

_ ~The Dark Fairy

* * *

_

Vash stared at the letter in his hands, rereading it again and again as if doing so would make it disappear. The rifle he had been practicing with a second ago fell from his hands. His dark green clad shoulders shook as the letter as a whole sank in.

_Liliten... Little, fragile Liliten... could be killed..._

He shoved the letter to the servant who had brought it to him. "T-take this to the k-king," he said, using every ounce of control he had to keep his voice steady and calm. Without bothering to see if the servant even headed toward the palace, Vash turned and walked to the courtyard, consisting of a maze of rose bushes, a small pond and a white stone tower. In the sunlight, the pond glistened serenely and the roses were in a brilliant full bloom. Yet, neither were what Vash was headed for. He walked into the tower, stepped over the various gardening tools stored on the floor of the tower, and numbly walked up the spiral staircase.

His thoughts were raining storm clouds complete with furious thunder as understanding slipped in and out of his grasp. His dear little sister, who he had watched over and cared for every instant he could, was in danger of being killed and there wasn't a thing he could possibly do about it. Only when he reached the top of the stairs did he realize exactly where his feet had been leading him. An old ache awoke in his chest and gripped his heart. Memories flooded into his mind as he stared at an all too familiar dark wood door.

* * *

_"Where are we going? If you're going to get any stronger, then you need to train," a young Vash said as a boy led him up the stairs. His voice echoed slightly in the tall tower._

_ "I have to show you something. I found it last night when I was hiding from Elizaveta," Roderich said as they ran up the stairs. He was the same age and height as Vash at the time with dark brown hair and one particular curl that refused to be tamed._

_ "So you're the one who broke her camera? Why am I not surprised?" Vash said, a hint of laughter in his voice._

_ "Hey! I didn't mean to! She left it on a stool in the hallway and..." _

_ "You sat on it? Ha!"_

_ "It was dark," he defended with a slight blush on his cheeks. The boy stopped at a dark wooden door. "Here we are. Take a look."_

_ Vash coughed at all the dust on the small platform. "It looks like no one's been up here in years. I can see where you were last night." He stepped forward and wiped some of the dust off the door. "Music room? It must have been abandoned when they built the other one inside the palace."_

_ Roderich rolled his eyes. "Just go in already." He reached ahead of Vash and grasped the brass handle. With a small twist, he pushed the wooden door open, causing both of the boys to fall inside._

_ Vash crawled out from under the other. "Lovely," he muttered. That was when he noticed the room. _

_ A lone grand piano sat in the center, covered in layers of dust except for the few spots no doubt Roderich had cleaned. The floor seemed to have once been a clean black and white checkerboard design, but was now almost completely gray. The walls depicted the sun setting on a field of flowers, surrounded by trees, valleys, and rivers. Above that, a semi-sphere ceiling captured the full moon on a partially cloudy night._

_ "So what do you think?" Roderich asked as he stood._

_ "It definitely needs cleaning..." Vash answered. He strode over to the piano bench, soon followed by Roderich. "Can you play?"_

_ "Sort of. My mother used to know how to. She taught me how to tune it and play too, but my dad got rid of it after... Anyway, I tuned it last night, but I didn't get a chance to try playing it," he said as he took a seat. Vash sat next to him on the left side of the bench. Roderich pulled a small piece of paper out of his coat and set it up on the stand above the keys. Vash watched as the brunette set his hands into position as if they were returning home for the first time. _

_ As the notes resounded around the room, Vash couldn't help but close his eyes and listen. The song itself was a basic lullaby in Reindori, soothing and simple. He lost himself in simply listening, picturing when the few times his parents had sung it to him and his sister. It was comforting and hopeful on a level that felt as real as Vash himself. There was something within the sound that tugged at his heart. It wasn't in the notes on the page, nor in the piano itself. What then?_

_ As the last note echoed through the room, the source of the feeling struck the blonde. Roderich turned to Vash. "What did you think?"_

_ Vash smiled at him, not a teasing or childish smile like he usual gave to his friend, but a happy one. "Perfect, Roderich. Perfect."

* * *

_

Vash pried open the old door and walked into the familiar room. After it was cleaned for the first time in years, he had tried to keep it that way. _But I only ever come back when I need to remember. Even at that, it's been months since I was last here..._ He walked over to the piano bench and lifted up the seat of it. Inside was a small metal box, a little rusty at the hinges, but generally fine. Vash closed the bench and took a seat on the floor, leaning against one of the piano legs.

_It's not too late to put it back, to forget for a change... Maybe, but right now memories seem so much better than the present.._ With that, he opened the simple metal box and picked up the first item as if it were more important than all the gold and silver in the world. It was a single rin, a small coin barely an inch in diameter.

* * *

_King Vash was holding one of the rare balls during the little time when he wasn't busy with the war. Young Vash, age 5, was currently hiding under the dessert table out of boredom, and the ever growing dislike of having his cheeks pinched. His baby sister Liliten, currently age 2, was in the nursery with a nanny and Grandfather Loliton, leaving the nobles with no royal children to fawn over besides poor Vash._

_ Which led him to his current position, hiding beneath a table hoping that no one would see him through the tablecloth. All was going well, until the small clatter of a coin rolling across the floor caught his attention. Even as a child, Vash like two things: guns and money. By no means was he greedy or violent, just a bit stingy with a talent for shooting. The coin fell on its side and stopped just a few inches away from the end of the table. _If I snatch it real quick, no one will notice...right? Here goes nothing._ Instantly,his hand darted out from under the table... only to collide with someone else's tiny, pale hand._

_ Vash withdrew back under the table before peeking out from behind the cloth carefully. Hesitant green eyes stared into curious bluish-purple ones for an instant until both backed away from the other. A brunette boy pulled up the table cloth and stared at Vash._

_ "What are you doing here?" he asked._

_ Vash back away. "Either close the curtain or get in before someone sees."_

_ The boy seemed to ponder these options a moment before picking up the coin and choosing the latter. He ducked inside and let the cloth drop behind him. "Why are you hiding?"_

_ "Do I look like I like getting my cheeks pinched? It's embarrassing, and the nobles always say the same things over and over," he answered._

_ "I know what you mean. 'Oh, he's so adorable,'" the boy said, squeaking his voice to sound like one of the adults._

_ Vash laughed. "'I could just eat him up!'"_

_ "'He has his mother's eyes, you know!'"_

_ "'And such chubby cheeks!'"_

_ "'Yes, but just wait until he's older-'"_

_ "'-and he'll look just like his father!" the two chorused. They laughed for a moment before realizing that they were supposed to be hiding._

_ "Anyway," the boy said, "what's your name?"_

_ "Um, I'm Vash Zwingli," the blonde said._

_ The boy looked at him curiously. "A royal?" A look of hurt passed over Vash's face. "What is a royal doing chasing after a coin?"_

_ Now it was Vash's turn to look at the boy curiously. "Huh? You're not gonna act all polite or scared?"_

_ "Why should I? You're a boy like me and since when do kids have to care about status?" He held out his hand. "My name's Roderich, Roderich Edelstein. Nice to meet you."_

_ Vash smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Roderich. At the current moment, we have two choices: stay here in the danger zone or make a break for the door. Any ideas?"_

_ Roderich smiled back as the band started playing. "I know the song they're playing. It'll get really loud in bit. After that we should have about thirty seconds to get out of here."_

_ "First one to the courtyard wins the coin?" Vash proposed._

_ "Deal." Roderich watched the nobles move closer to the orchestra. "3...2...1...GO!"_

_ With that, the two flew out from under the table and toward the door. Roderich was faster, and took the lead almost immediately. As he tried to keep up, Vash stole a glance in his uncle's direction. King Vash was watching his nephew from the corner of his eye, a knowing smirk on his face.

* * *

_

Vash sighed contently. He had lost that race, but it felt good to in a way. Everyone else besides his uncle had let him win everything. A victory you didn't earn was just as bad as losing in Vash's mind. He carefully set the coin on the floor next to him, trying to forget how he had it now.

He reached inside the box again for the next item. His hands wrapped around a small wooden arrow, a training toy for children. It had a small crack in its middle and a slight blood stain on the tip. A laugh escaped from his throat.

"Stupid Roderich..."

* * *

_ It had been a few months after meeting Roderich. In that time he had met Roderich's friend, Elizaveta, a maid technically but a better fighter than most boys twice her age. Together with Liliten they would spend hours hiding from all the adults and doing whatever they wanted to._

_ Today, however, Vash was carrying Roderich on his back into the palace. The bluish-purple eyed brunette was covered in various scrapes, scratches and cuts._

_ "You asked Elizaveta to fight you again, didn't you?" Vash fumed. "When are you going to realize that there are some people you can't beat? I can't be there all the time to bail you out. How many times now? How many times?"_

_ "There's been 51-" Roderich began meekly._

_ "This makes 52!"_

_ Roderich smiled slightly. "You know, it's funny. I was born to fight because I'm the son of a general, but no matter who I fight I end up like this. At least you're always there to save me."_

_ "See, this is why we train so much. I'm going to make you stronger so you can fight for yourself someday. At this rate, though, you're going to suffer from brain damage," he huffed as he walked._

_ "You know there's an arrow in my butt, right?"_

_ Vash laughed. "Like I said, brain damage."_

_ Roderich pointed down one hallway. "My room's that way."_

_ "Yeah, but the infirmary's this way," Vash said, nodding forward._

_ "If I get cleaned up there, I'll have to walk back to my room with a hole in my pants. At least let me change my clothes before I go there," he pleaded. Vash sighed before walking down the hallway towards Roderich's room. The brunette pointed to a basic door on the corner. "There." Vash nodded. He pushed the door open and set Roderich on the bed._

_ "By the way, how can you live in the palace when you don't work here and you're not related to anyone here either?" Vash asked._

_ Roderich rolled onto his stomach. "My mom died when I was still a baby. With my Dad off at war nearly all the time, there was no place for me to go. The king had one of the nannies take care of me until I could take care of myself. Things are fine. I eat decent meals with the maids and servants and I don't have any work to do... Well, things were kind of lonely before I met you." He smiled at Vash. "Anyway, can you help me get the arrow it. It kinda hurts and I can't change with it stuck there like that."_

_ Vash rolled his eyes. "Hold still." He gripped the end of the arrow and tugged. Roderich whined a bit, but otherwise kept quiet. "Remember this the next time you challenge Elizaveta," he said once the arrow was free. The arrow was wooden and dull, a toy practically. The wound itself was little more than a small cut, barely and inch wide and an eighth of an inch deep with most of the blood soaked up by his pants._

_ "Thanks, I'll try to remember," Roderich replied sarcastically._

_ "Just change clothes now." As the other did so, Vash found himself looking away for some reason. A small blush crept onto his cheeks as he hands fiddle with the arrow. _Why am I looking away? It's just Roderich..._ He glanced down at the arrow. In its center was a small crack in the wood._

_"Something I didn't notice before..." he muttered to himself._

_ Roderich turned to look at him. "What?"_

_ "Nothing," Vash replied, holding the arrow behind his back. "Nothing at all."

* * *

_

Vash shook his head as the room came back into focus and looked at the contents of the box. Pages of compositions written for Vash by Roderich littered the bottom, folded up so that they would fit. He pulled the papers out one by one and set them next to the arrow and the coin. The next item Vash pulled out was a small square button. It tugged at his heart to look at it. The day itself would forever stay fresh in his mind.

* * *

_It was a cloudy day, the sky a slate of gray with no break in the clouds or variation in color. A dreary day, perfect for a funeral. Even so, the weather was the last thing on young Vash's mind. He was staring sadly at a white marble casket. King Vash's funeral the day before had been for Reindori. The much smaller one today was for those closest to the king, including his nephew and niece. To Vash's left, Liliten stood silently with her head bowed. On his right, Roderich stood in a similar position._

_ Up until then, Vash had held in any tears he had. Only when Liliten, age 3, took his hand and gave it a little squeeze did he truly begin to mourn. Tears streaked down his little face, any sobs catching in his throat. Before he knew it, Roderich had taken his hand as well. Vash stole a glance at what the brunette had placed in his hand. It was a square button, dark purple with gold streaks and swirls inside it and bordered with silver trim. Vash recognized it as one of the buttons off of the suit Roderich was currently wearing. He flipped it over and looked at the message written/scratched into the back._

We're still here.

_Vash stared at it a few moments before putting it inside his pocket and allowing Roderich to __take his hand. He continued to cry, but he knew he wasn't alone. For that reason alone, he would continue on. With his friends by his side, he would be happy.

* * *

_

Now, Vash wouldn't even look at the back of the button. The three people he cared about, Liliten, Roderich, Uncle Vash, all had left him. This time, he was truly alone. Green eyes looked at the last item in the box. His mind was screaming at him to stop there, to put every item back in the box and walk away. Even so, his hands reached forward and picked up the yellowed letter. Vash unfolded it, bracing himself as the memory from that night came flooding back like a tidal wave.

_Three months before, Roderich's father had died out in battle. Roderich didn't react much to the event, at least not very noticeably. Even so, Vash could see the slight change in his friend. He would space in and out during a conversation and could never focus too long on anything. It worried Vash, but when he asked about it, Roderich told him it was nothing to worry about. Vash believed him. How could he have known?_

_ Late one summer night, Prince Vash, currently age 17, was awoken by Roderich shaking his shoulders. He looked bleary-eyed at his friend, who had grown taller than the blonde over the years. Pale moonlight cascaded in through the window, illuminating the area around Vash's bed slightly. Roderich helped Vash to sit up and look the other in the eyes._

_ "Ugh...wha...Rod...?"_

_ A small click sounded in the room causing Roderich to turn towards the door. "Really, Elizaveta?"_

_ "Just hurry up!"_

_ Roderich sighed and turned toward his friend. "Vash..." He slipped a piece of paper into his hand. "Take this. I owe you this much at least."_

_ "Roderich..." Vash said, exhaustion dampening his voice._

_ A look of pain flashed over the brunette's face. "You've been a great friend... Now, please, just drink this." A cold glass was pressed to his lips. Against his better judgment, Vash drank up, barely registering the strange taste the water had. Roderich set the glass on the bedside table and let Vash fall back into the pillows. As Vash struggled to stay awake, Roderich took the photograph from a picture frame that sat on the table._

_ "Was the knockout really necessary?" Elizaveta asked from the doorway._

_ "Yes... I know him. If there's any chance of bringing me back, he'll take it. The drug will keep him asleep long enough for us to leave." He stole one last glance at Vash. "Goodbye..."_

_ That was the last thing Vash heard before sleep claimed him once again. The next time his eyes opened, sunshine was streaming in through the window, signaling that it wasn't long before noon._

_ Vash sat up groggily, the events that occurred last night seeming like a dream more than anything. That is, until Vash noticed the letter in his hand. Suddenly afraid of what it might say, he carefully unfolded it and read through it._

Dear Vash,

I can't stay here anymore. They want me to take my father's place as general. You and I both know that I know nothing of war. I'm no fighter like you. I wouldn't last a month. So, my only choice is to leave. I can't tell you where I'm going, but trust me when I say that I'll be fine. Elizaveta has refused to let me go alone and will be accompanying me.

I doubt that I'll be able to contact you at all after this. Rumors will undoubtedly arise. Try not to take it to heart and distance yourself from me. It would be dangerous otherwise, even for a prince. If needed, tell Liliten to do the same.

Please, take care of yourself.

~Roderich Edelstein

_ Vash's heart caught in his throat as he dared a glance at the bedside table. A frame lay there, __empty as the glass next to it. On top of the frame was the coin from when they had first met. He reached forward and held the coin in his hand._

_ "No...no..."_

_ He leaped up from his bed, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas before he left the room. Vash rushed down the hallways until he came near Roderich's room. Investigators and soldiers were crowding into both his and Elizaveta's rooms. Vash stopped and looked on for a moment._

_ "No...no..."_

_ Turning on a dime, he ran down corridor after corridor until he reached the courtyard. He ran past bushes and through until he reached the tower. Taking three steps at a time, he bounded up the stairs as if nothing else mattered except reaching the top. Once there, he pushed the door open and stared inside. Any hopes he had fell in an instant. Over the years, the room had collected one or two pillows and chairs, one of his guns, Roderich's composition book- full of his favorite pieces and things he had composed himself, and Elizaveta's camera._

_ The last two items were nowhere to be seen._

_ Vash walked in, closing the door behind him. Numbly, he took a seat at the grand piano, always on the left. But this time, Roderich was not on the left side playing for him. Trembling, Vash let his head fall forward and touch the cool wooden stand above the keys. He stared down at the plastic keys_, _all emotion drained out of him. Pain allowed him to do nothing but stare at the pattern of black and white.

* * *

_

Now, Vash shoved the letter back in the box and picked up the button. He stood and raised his hand as if to smash it on the floor. _Liar, liar! Uncle is dead, you might as well be and now Liliten's in danger. Liar!_ His arm froze and refused to let him break it. _Why? Why did you leave me? Why can't I allow myself to forget for even one day?_ Finally, he sighed and dropped the button into the box. Vash sat down and began placing every item back in the box as it was before.

"If he was such a liar... why do I still want to believe it? No one's here by my side anymore, and there wasn't a damn thing I could have done to make them stay..." As the last item, the coin, dropped into the box, Vash looked up at the painted moon and stars, as his heart fell apart all over again.

* * *

Far away, a brunette with bluish-purple eyes and a curl in his dark hair stood underneath the same scene, only this one was real. Roderich was staring at a photograph in his hands visible by the pale moonlight. In it, a younger Vash sat on the left of a piano bench while Roderich sat on the right, playing away as usual. He tucked the photograph inside his coat pocket before turning and walking back into the Camiera castle.

* * *

**Freaking finally!**

**Chapter is long, I know, but bear with me I beg of you. Next chappy we'll get back to Liliten's story, but I felt this part needed to be told. My old planning is so screwed now. XD**

**To explain a rin, it's the most basic level of money in Reindori. A cam in Camiera is the same thing. From there, ten of either equals another little coin, but I don't necessarily need to name that just yet, so I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it.**

**For those reading this on DA, this chap will not be posted to the BelaLiech group as it contains no Belarus or Liechtenstein.**

**Moving on, the next chapter should be up sooner than usual (whatever usual is looking like I guess... ^^''). I hope you enjoyed this chap.**

**Reviews are love!**


	4. The Dragon Rescues Part 1

The Dragon's Blade Ch. 3: The Dragon Rescues

_Dear Diary,_

_ I miss the palace. There, I said it. I miss my old cage. At least there I wasn't hungry or cold half the time. At least there I wasn't alone. The maids talked to me at times, the tutors was usually nice, and there was always my brother if no one else. There were places to walk. Here I just sit in a small cell and wait for the next meal, which usually ends up being cold leftovers._

_ I haven't seen anyone from _The Battle Ax_... I think it's because the captain- I've heard Iggy and Arthur from the people who have come down here with food, but I don't remember exactly- doesn't trust them enough to bring them near me. I wish I could see a familiar face though. All the men who I have seen are scary- one had red eyes, and another keeps looking at me as if he's trying to see right through my clothes, something Vash would shoot him for if he was here._

_ Not all of the crew are scary however. Two of them have been nice to me. One is very calm- as long as you don't touch him it seems- with short, straight black hair. His name is Kiku. The other is very slow-moving, seems to not care that being close to Kiku makes the shorter man nervous, and has somewhat long, curly brown hair. His name started with 'Hera' but I can't remember much else. At first I was scared of them when they brought me food._

_ Kiku placed the plate down, glancing at me in the corner with a tattered blanket, before turning to the taller man behind him. Hera picked a cat off the top of his head- literally -and set the small tabby down on the wooden floor. It walked towards me, meowing. I backed away from it- a cat of all things!_

_ "He... doesn't bite..." he said slowly, pausing for seemingly no reason at all._

_ Slowly, I reached towards the kitten and pet its soft head. It purred and licked my hand with its rough tongue. That was the first time I smiled since being on the ship. They've been to me cell two times after that, both times bringing different cats._

_ I've been on this ship five days, but it feels so much longer. It sounded like they took everything off _The Battle Ax _and sank it. We sailed for two days after I was captured and stopped at some sort of island, I think. I can't be sure of anything though. There are no windows in this cell, so I have no way of knowing._

_ It seems I'm always a prisoner of some sorts. Whether the cell be made of marble and gold or wood and rusty iron, I'm still locked inside. It makes me wonder, dear diary, if I will ever be free._

_ ~Liliten Zwingili_

* * *

Above deck, things were fairly usual for an evening on the ship. Half of them were drunk or just plain lazing around. In the kitchen, Matthew and Francis were stuck with dish duty; Francis was forced to and Matthew wanted to escape Gilbert and Alejandro's constant bickering.

"I wonder why they always fight," he wondered aloud.

Francis paused and looked at Matthew. "...You seriously don't know? And here I thought you were just taking after your dear cousin, mon cheri."

Matthew shook his before picking up another dirty plate. "What are you talking about?"

"Normally, they would scarcely say a word to each other. They never did before you came here. Yet they haven't stopped fighting ever since you set foot on this ship. Have you even listened to what they're arguing about?"

Matthew continued cleaning. "They fight about me, I know. That doesn't answer why they fight."

Francis sighed before returning to cleaning. "Mon cheri, just know that sooner or later, when you do figure out why, you'll have to choose one of them. You can't expect people to wait for you forever." He handed Matthew a plate still with food on it. "Here. Take this to the prisoner, will you? I'll finish up here."

Matthew nodded and picked up the plate of now cold soup, bread, and a few slices of ham. He walked onto the deck, instantly noting that nearly the entire crew was drunk, including the captain and his brother. Before he could walk below deck to the cells, Kiku and Heracles walked up.

"Here, we'll take that Alfred-san," Kiku said, gently taking the plate from the quiet blonde.

"I'm not Alfred, I-" he began, only to see that the two were already leaving. Before he could protest, a pale arm was slung across his shoulder.

"Hey, Mattie, I was wondering where you were," Gilbert said, already leading the blonde away.

* * *

Liliten was sitting on the floor shivering atop a small bed on the floor when the two entered her cell. She forced a smile upon seeing that it was Kiku and Heracles. Kiku set the food in front of her as Heracles began petting one of the various cats that had followed him.

"Konbonwa, Liliten-san," Kiku said. "How are you doing?"

"As good as can be expected I guess," she said as she picked up the plate.

"You're... shivering. Are you...sick?" Heracles asked slowly.

"Not sick, just a bit cold is all." Liliten said between eating. "Thank you for the concern though." She swallowed a piece of bread and looked up at the two. "Um.. mind if I ask why it is that you treat me so kindly when I'm a prisoner?"

"Call it... instincts.." Heracles said, "... and the word... of two trustworthy... white dogs."

_Tino and Berwald_ Liliten thought happily. "Please tell the two dogs I said thank you then." Kiku handed her a simple dark blue blanket and took back the now empty plate. "Thank you," Liliten said quietly, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

"It's the least we can do. Sleep well, Liliten-san," Kiku said as they left.

Liliten didn't need to be told twice. She rested her head on the straw stuffed pillow and curled up underneath the blanket. For a moment, she listened to the two sets of footsteps walking away. Once they had vanished completely, she turned to look at the ceiling.

_ It seems even when I am in a cage there's always someone trying to help me be happy. First brother, now Tino, Berwald, Kiku and Heracles. Even so, I'm not happy. I want to be, I really do. But I can't be for some reason. Maybe I'll be happy if I'm... no. There's no way I can ever be free. My name, my crown, and the whole of Reindori bind me too closely._

_ I'm a lily that can't be moved... I can bloom to show off my beauty, but I can't move... The only way for me to be free of the ground is to pluck me... but after that I would die... Death is my only freedom..._

As Liliten closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, a single tear slid down her cheek and fell onto the silky purple ribbon in her blonde hair.

* * *

"Why won't you fix it?" Peter yelled at his drunken older brother. His favorite spot, the crow's next had a hole in the bottom of it- just a small crack the blonde boy wanted fixed.

"Why bother? No one goes up there but you. Now go away, Peter." Arthur replied.

"It's your ship, you have to fix it, desu yo!" Peter insisted nonetheless.

Arthur groaned and turned towards the boy. "It barely is, it's so high up. Why not just fix it yourself since you seem to think you're so grown up?"

"Fine! I'll show you!" he screamed before storming off. "That jerk.." he muttered to himself. That's when it dawned on him. _Barely part of the jerk's ship + Peter's the only one who goes up there = CROW'S NEST IS PETER'S!_

"I've got a job to do now!" With that the blonde ran to get the proper tools needed to fix his crow's nest for the night. He laughed, "I own the crow's nest now, desu yo!"

* * *

There was snow. Lots of it falling all around her. Liliten smiled and caught snowflakes in her hand. They melted instantly on her gloves, but still she tried to catch them. She was alone except for the blanketed white trees and whatever lay in them. She walked down a path that was suddenly visible beyond the trees. Laughing, she strolled down it picking green flowers as she went. The sun shone on the snow covered path, providing only light but not warmth. Before she knew it there was a girl standing in front of her. Liliten smiled and handed a flower to her. The girl looked at it a moment before placing a warm hand against Liliten's cold cheek.

Liliten's eyes fluttered open at the touch. As she realized that the hand pressed to her cheek was real, her eyes flew open and she drew in a sharp breath ready to scream for help- prisoner or not, at least she sort of knew the people on _The Dark Fairy_. As hand was pressed to her mouth, another flew up to hold her hands above her head. Her legs were pinned down by someone else's hips against her own.

"Please be quiet. I'm here to help you, understand?" the person said. _A girl?_ As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Liliten noticed the pale strands of blonde hair falling around her and the chest pressed against her own. For some reason, this brought a deep blush onto her cheeks. Suddenly Liliten was grateful for the darkness that hid her red cheeks from the girl on top of her. "I'm going to remove my hand now. I want you to tell me who you are and why you're a prisoner here. Be as quiet as possible," she continued. The girl removed the hand from Liliten's mouth carefully.

Liliten took a breath before speaking. "My name is Princess Liliten Zwingli of Reindori. I was taking captive by these pirates on my way to Camiera. From what I can tell, they've been asking for a ransom."

The girl nodded. "Yep, that sounds right." She released Liliten and stood up. "I'm here to help you. If you want to get out of here, follow me, do as I say, and keep quiet above all. Understood?" Liliten nodded quickly as she sat up slowly. The girl sighed and pulled the shorter girl onto her feet. "Hurry. We don't have long."

Liliten had barely picked up her diary when the taller girl began leading her out of the cell. She scarcely made a sound as her feet brushed against the wooden floor. Liliten stumbled after the platinum blonde, doing her best to step lightly. Down hallways and up stairs they crept. Finally, the taller of the two reached the top of a set of stairs and walked onto the deck.

What Liliten saw took her breath away for a moment. The girl was beautiful- a term Liliten never used on someone before. Beauty, she had been told, was fragile and silent, like a flower. This girl was no flower. Her hair was like moonlight, pale but not quite white. Her eyes were like two drops of dark blue taken directly from the night sky that loomed above them. A dark purple coat hung from her slim shoulders, giving off a sense of strength. The blush that had never truly left her cheeks multiplied tenfold in an instant.

So caught up in staring, Liliten barely registered that the girl had been talking to her. "-so can you climb down a rope?"

"U-um, no. Why?" Liliten asked.

The girl rolled her eyes as she led the shorter girl over to the railing of the ship. "Figures. Just hold on."

"To wha-" The platinum blonde wrapped her arms around Liliten and jumped over the railing gracefully. Liliten watched as the world rushed past for a moment. Suddenly one of the girl's gloved hands reached out and gripped a rope that fell beside them. Their fall slowed until her feet touched the bottom of a dinghy.

The girl looked at Liliten. "Are you okay?"

"I little confused, but fine. What just happened?" Liliten said, looking up.

"I told you, my dinghy was under the anchor's chain." she said simply. The girl released Liliten and untied the little boat from the chain. "I'll get the oars; you just sit tight."

Liliten, finding nothing else to do, took a seat on one of the wooden benches. The platinum blonde pushed off of the deck and took a seat opposite to Liliten. She picked up the two wooden oars and started rowing, a job that didn't seem to suit her but never-the-less. Liliten glanced to the side at the beach. _So it was an island..._ Knowledge of where she was dawned a new question in her mind.

Liliten looked at the girl sitting across from her. "Where are we going?"

"A ship named after a fairy tale in Camiera and Reindori. It was told and spread before the war, but times changed and the story was mostly forgotten," the girl answered plainly.

"Will you tell me the name of the ship?" Liliten questioned further.

"You can find out when we get there."

Liliten watched the girl silently before deciding her next question. "...Will you tell me your name?"

The girl paused her rowing for a moment and looked at the blonde. "Why do you want to know my name? I just plucked you off a pirate ship, put you on a dinghy and am currently taking you to a ship which I refuse to tell you the name of. Does none of this make you in the least bit suspicious? Angry? Anything?"

Liliten returned the gaze. "Not at all. I am a bit confused, but I've decided to trust you. Which is why I want to know your name."

"...You're a very strange girl for a princess," she said as she continued rowing. "Fine. My name is Natalya. Natalya Braginski."

* * *

**Shorter than usual, yes, but this is just part 1. I'm considering cutting the chapters in half. It'll make them shorter and I'll be able to post more often (hopefullly). Despite what I said last chap, this didn't get up near as soon as I hoped. You'll have to forgive me for that; life in general (and my 2-year-old sister who thinks I have to like and do everything she does... I love her, I really do, but I need room to breath sometimes) has left me with no where near enough free time to simply sit down and type away. It doesn't help that my netbook is nearing the end of its poor little life I think.**

**In other news, saw Hetalia 100.5. My sister (a NorIce fan) still won't let it go. I was all fine and dandy until Norway got so close to Ice's ear. The fangirl half of my head got a nose bleed and fainted; the specific shipper half (I'm a DenNor fan) screamed and fainted. Also saw Hetalia The Movie. There were no subtitles, but just knowing the characters and watching what was going on sorta does the talking for us most of the time- not all mind you, but still. I'll say nothing more about it, go find it for yourself and see~**

**Anyway, hope you liked the chap and reviews are love!**


	5. The Dragon Rescues Part 2

The Dragon's Blade Ch. 4: The Dragon Rescues

* * *

One fairy and one pixie had, in the last half-hour, taken all the pillows and blankets off the bed, screamed at the top of their lungs, and hit every nerve possible, yet Arthur wouldn't wake up.

"Come on you old pirate! GET UP!" the pixie screamed.

"I give up," the fairy said. "Let's make it official; there is no way to wake ole Arthur up after he's passed out drunk."

The pixie, Lydia, took a seat on the nightstand. "We could bring Francis in here, Julie."

The fairy shook her head. "We we want him awake, not raped. Alfred maybe?"

"Nah. What's he gonna do? The only thing he would know to do is something a prince does in a story book, and this ain't Sleeping Beauty."

Julie thought for a moment before giving off a sharp whistle. A rabbit with wings flew in through the partially cracked window. "Flying-Mint-Bunny, help us out here?"

With a nod, the winged-bunny flew up to the ceiling. Suddenly, it closed its wings and came crashing down on top of Arthur's stomach. This only brought on moan of pain and few slurred swears from the captain.

"Ow!" the mint-colored creature said as it touched it head gingerly. "Lemme guess, he was drinking?" The fairy and pixie nodded apologetically.

"Well, there is one last thing," Julie said, flying over Arthur's face. "He'll be pissed, but awake."

"He'll forgive us," the pixie said. Lydia joined her in taking hold of one particularly long hair from one of Arthur's eyebrows.

"On my mark..." began Flying-Mint-Bunny. "Pull!"

With a tug, the hair was plucked. Arthur sat up screaming nearly every swear word in the English language all at once. After a moment he noticed the fairy and pixie floating nearby. "Lydia? Julie? I thought I had you watching the prisoner for me? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah! She was re-kidnapped, like, forty minutes ago!" Lydia screamed.

"Bloody hell," Arthur said, jumping out of bed. He slipped on his coat and buttoned it up as he rushed below deck. Bursting into the dorms, he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Wake up, gits! The prisoner escaped!"

"What?" Alfred yelled back from his and Matthew's room, effectively falling out of bed in the process.

"Everyone above deck, now!" Arthur ordered. "Get any weapons you can carry easily, preferably guns. Berwald, Ludwig, and Mathias, hoist the anchor. And get some bloody clothes on Francis before you even take one step above deck!"

With that, he grabbed a telescope and marched up the stairs. The pirate captain cast a look at the island. _No movement there..._ He turned his attention to the sea. Barely visible, a small boat floated on the waves. _Found you, princess._ Alfred walked up behind Arthur.

"You see 'em?" he asked.

Arthur nodded. "They're headed somewhere, though." He peered through the telescope before removing it and handing it to Alfred. "Take a look, git. Over that hill, what do you see?"

The blonde took the telescope and looked up at the hill. "I see a flag. Why?"

"Who's flag?" Arthur asked, already knowing the answer.

Alfred pulled the telescope away. "The Dragon's Blade."

* * *

Natalya, rowing the boat, looked up at the sound of movement on_ The Dark Fairy_. "They woke up," she stated simply. Liliten tensed up at the news instantly. "Calm down. We're fifteen minutes away from our destination, and they're 30 minutes away. Unless they get lucky with a wind, we're fine. Chances are they haven't even spotted us yet."

"How will we know when they do spot us?" Liliten asked, trying not to quiver. A bullet whizzed by her ear and hit the water beside the dinghy.

"There's that," Natalya replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She looked at the island. "We wouldn't last long there if we fled. Guess it's time-" A gunshot caught her attention. Liliten held the gun and fired again as one gun from _The Dark Fairy_ fell into the ocean. "Ha! The princess can't climb down a rope, but fires a gun like a sniper. Now, I must ask, where did you learn that?"

Lili flashed a smile over her shoulder. "What can I say? I learned it from my brother."

Natalya nodded, and looked over her shoulder at the hill. "You just hold them off, no killing, and I'll get us to the ship." She let out a long, low whistle.

"How much longer will that be?" Liliten asked.

Natalya smiled as the whistle was returned. "Not long, princess. Not long at all."

* * *

_The Dragon's Blade_ was still and silent, seemingly a ghost on the water. Movement was nearly undetectable on deck. At the sound of gunshots, the crew, once still as statues, all sucked in a breath.

"Hold still, girls," a brunette with an orange flower atop her head cautioned, hands clenching the wheel of the ship anxiously. "Wait for the call. Not a moment sooner."

As the low whistle was sent, Elizaveta began repeating their orders, despite the fact the crew already knew them, and returned the low whistle with one of her own. Katyusha, a girl with pale hair and a chest too big for her shirt, and Bella, a blonde with a dark headband, raised the sails, as they were the tallest.

"Careful with that, Kat. We don't need to go too fast just yet," Elizaveta said, hair tied in a long ponytail.

Katyusha smiled at her. "We're fine."

"Yeah. You just keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the sea, Lizzy," Bella added, flashing a toothy grin the Cheshire cat couldn't compete with.

Lien and Mei positioned the cannons above deck as Monica and Cloe loaded them.

"Are you sure the cannons aren't a bit much?" Monica, ever the brain of the crew, asked, her dark brown braid resting on her shoulder.

Lien shook her head, her long hair echoing with the motion along her green-clad back. "I hope we won't need them, but the captain wants us to prepare for anything."

Mei blew at the strand of hair that fell in her face. "Any idea who we're up against? I mean, I know it's another pirate ship, but that's all any of us know."

"Does it make a difference?" Cloe asked. "We'll get this princess girl and be gone before they land a shot. Simple."

Bella, now done with the sails, moved onto loading and distributing guns. She handed two to Katyusha and one to Monica. "I agree with Cloe. We probably won't even see much of them."

Elizaveta, accepting a gun from Katyusha, looked up. "You see them, Chelle?"

"Yep! Enemy ship: about 25 minutes away at the speed it's going. Natalya should be here in 10 minutes or less now that we're moving toward her. The only way they'd even come close is if they got really lucky with the wind," the tan girl reported, pigtails falling around her face as she peered through a telescope. She moved the telescope away and looked down. "Toss me a gun, Bella?"

"Catch!" Bella called, hurling the gun up to the crow's nest. Chelle caught it with ease, having done the motion more than once during her time on the pirate ship.

Elizaveta steered the ship sharply around the hill, towards _The Dark Fairy_ and the dinghy with Natalya. "On my mark..." The other girls crouched behind the railing of the ship. "...aim.." Guns rose into position in perfect unison. "...FIRE!"

* * *

As the ship sailed into view, the crew members on _The Dark Fairy_ couldn't help but stop and stare for a moment.

"The fastest ship you'll never see..." Nicholai said to himself.

As bullets fired at their weapons, practically taking off a hand here or there, the crew scattered for any vantage point against the unceasing fire.

Arthur growled. _We'll never catch up at this rate... Damn, I won't lose!_ The pirate captain looked at the sails. _Well, if luck isn't on our side, magic will be. _"Raise the sails!"

"Mon cheri, in case you haven't noticed, the winds are blowing in their favor!" Francis replied irritably.

"Just do as I say!" he yelled back. One hand on the wheel of the ship, Arthur pulled a small black book from his coat. The cover was littered with silver markings, every word in a language it seemed only Arthur himself could understand. His voice darkened as he uttered the spell, every syllable dripping with a dark sense of power. The world felt as if it vanished for a moment, all concentration on reading the words on the page. As he ended the spell, a gust blew into the sails yet only a light breeze was felt on deck.

Arthur smiled to himself. "Sorry, princess," he said, slipping the book inside his coat pocket, "but I'm afraid I can't let you leave so easily."

* * *

Peter wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, squeezing his head between two pillows. First, two girls woke him when they walked onto the deck- no big deal, besides the blonde girl had been nice to him when she was on _The Battle Ax_. He just ignored it and fell back asleep. Then, his brother's little pets- a fairy, a pixie and some green creature- started making a racket. This was followed by his brother screaming orders, the anchor being raised and gunshots.

At any rate, Peter was not sleeping well and he was not happy about it. The last straw was the wind- oh, he heard his brother say the spell. The next thing he knew, he was shivering in his little fort of blankets and pillows hidden in the crow's nest.

_If I don't freeze to death before the night's over, I'm so kicking him in the balls tomorrow, desu yo._

* * *

In the dinghy, Liliten noticed the change in speed of _The Dark _Fairy. As she saw it nearing, Liliten lowered her gun and turned to Natalya. "They're catching up!" she screamed over the gunshots that flew above their heads.

"Doesn't matter anymore," Natalya said, dropping the oars in the bottom of the boat as the dinghy neared the ship. Ropes fell over the side of the ship, which Natalya quickly tied to the small boat. Liliten put the gun down and looked at it. It was sleek for a ship, but there was a sense of power about it that the princess couldn't place. She couldn't see the dark purple words written on the side of the ship, even with the help of the moonlight. The only warning she could have had was practically invisible.

The dinghy was lifted onto the ship via a system of ropes and pulleys. As they neared the edge of railing, Natalya hopped off the side and landed on deck. She turned and stretched out her arms to Liliten. The shorter girl left the gun in the dinghy, picked up her diary and let Natalya help her over the rail. Despite the help, she still tripped and fell face-first into Natalya's chest.

With her cheeks fiery red, she backed away from the taller girl. "I'm sorry, I-" she began, forgetting the thought entirely as she saw the two girls tying up the dinghy. A mix of curiosity and suspicion caused her to look at the rest of the crew, shock creeping onto her face as the realization struck.

"A ship of lady pirates.." Liliten said to herself, remembering what Nicholai had said.

"So you've heard of us?" Natalya said, stepping toward the girl. A brunette with a flower in her hair at the wheel of the ship picked up a dark purple hat and tossed it to Natalya. The pale blonde caught it and fit it on her head. "Thank you. Sail dead ahead, Co-Captain Elizaveta. Girls, cease fire and hold your weapons."

Her orders were answered by each girl with one simple saying. "Yes, Captain Natalya."

* * *

All fire stopped as the ships neared one another, one heading East and the other West. Natalya recognized each face- not from any personal experiences, but from the tales her own crew had told about their lives. _The girls won't fight, but their old friends might. Best to just get out of this quickly._ She pulled Liliten over to her and held a knife to the the girl's throat, the meaning clear. Captain Arthur glared daggers, similar to the others around him. Each pirate knew who they were looking at, none giving away any emotion even so.

As the two ships passed each other, not a single word passed their lips. Liliten was terrified, none of her fear helped by the knife that was suddenly at her throat. The tension could have been cut with said knife.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, both were out of immediate eyesight of each other. Natalya released Liliten, who immediately fell on her knees, clutching her throat. The captain reached toward her, causing Liliten to back away from her. "Calm down, I was just going to help you up." Cautiously, Liliten took her hand and the pirate pulled her to her feet. Natalya looked around at her crew, the thought of any orders vanishing with the looks she saw on their faces.

"Girls, go get into bed. Try to catch a few hours of sleep," she said. Chelle, having moved onto the deck, opened her mouth to protest. Natalya held up a hand to cut her off. "There are three hours until dawn; I can stay awake for that long at the very least. Go to bed. That's an order."

Katyusha stepped forward. "What about her?" she asked, gesturing toward Liliten.

Natalya looked at Liliten for a moment as if pondering the question for the first time. "Find a nightgown that will fit her and one outfit for tomorrow. She can stay in the empty room next to Elizaveta's. We'll work out the rest tomorrow. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain Natalya."

With a nod, she turned moved to the wheel. Liliten fought the urge to follow her. _She's the only one I know here, so it's only natural... right? _Even so, she let the other girls lead her away. Elizaveta showed Liliten to her room.

The princess looked at her strangely as she led her below deck. "Have I... seen you before?"

Elizaveta smiled. "It's me, Elizaveta. I was a maid in Reindori for a time. Your brother was Roderich's...friend."

"I remember now," Liliten said, nodding as the small memories began to form.

"Um.. how did your brother take it when Roderich and I left?" Elizaveta couldn't help but ask.

Liliten shook her head sadly. "Not well. We tried to keep each other happy, but being happy is easier said than done. Where did you go anyway?"

"...Camiera." Elizaveta said as she opened the door to Liliten's room. "Here you are. Kat should be here soon with your clothes."

Before Liliten could protest, Elizaveta had left. She looked around the room. A small bed sat in the corner, nailed to the floor. At the foot of it was a small chest. On the left wall there was a vanity and on the right was a full body mirror. Liliten moved over to the vanity and took up the quill and ink that sat on it. "Might as well write what I can for tonight."

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_ There is so much to say, but I fear I lack both the energy and time to describe it all in detail. In one night I have been rescued as well as held hostage by the same female pirate captain. In my wildest dreams could I have not even considered that that sentence would be in my diary. I'm on _The Dragon's Blade_. It's doesn't feel real, and I can't tell if I want it to be or not. I just want to lie down and forget it all for a moment..._

_ Should I lose this diary and it somehow find its way to my brother- Elizaveta and Roderich fled to Camiera; Elizaveta is on this ship as Co-Captain, Roderich is still in Camiera somewhere. I know Vash missed him after he left._

_ I'm tired and Katyusha- a girl with a... big chest- just walked in with my night gown. I'll write more tomorrow morning if I can. Here's hoping things start making sense soon._

_ ~Liliten Zwingli_

* * *

_Captain's Log: Early Morning on August 3_

_ There isn't much light and I have the night watch, so I'll try to be brief. The mission was a success. Even so, there's been a change of plans on my part. The results should stay the same, but getting there may differ._

_ We may have made a new enemy today. I get the feeling that wasn't the last we'll see of them. We may not see them for years; they could chase us and attack us tomorrow. The uncertainty is great enough that there is no point in dwelling on it. That is all for now._

_ -Captain Natalya Braginski_

* * *

** Finally this chap is done. Despite everything, the chap is done! I can sleep at night without this chapter on my mind completely... that is until next week when chapter 5 shall replace it in my mind. O well. Haha.**

** My questions to you: 1. did you suspect that this would be the crew? (if you read Flowers, you see I try to group together the Hetalia girls when I can) 2. did you suspect Natalya as the captain at any point? 3. who wants to see Peter kick/thinks Peter is really going to kick Arthur in the balls?**

** Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and reviews are awesome!**

** (P.S. Probably going to change the preview on FF soon)**


	6. AN End

**To the readers of _The Dragon's Blade_**

**I can't do this anymore. I sorta wish I could, but I can't. I just don't feel the motivation or reason to continue. Before you ask me to continue – my notes and rough drafts have already been thrown away. Also, let's be honest: I might feel bad about this for a bit, but I'll be over it soon. There are other fics, most of which probably better, which you will move onto. This might be missed, but truly not for long. **

**I'm not depressed, just moving on. I can't say for sure where God's taking me, but this story is not a part of it and was never meant to be from what I can tell. I myself have been wanting simply to finish it sooner than I knew I could or would. I know some of you will want to hear how the story would have ended. I almost want to describe it to you, but this needs to be a clean break for me.**

**My time will henceforth be spent on learning (in school and hopefully Japanese lesson), writing a project with my sis (of which I can not tell you anything about) and hopefully getting more in touch with people. I may post one-shots from time to time but that is unlikely. As a whole, fanfics don't seem to be for me. I much prefer to be able to change things in the beginning, middle and end of a story as I write it, instead of looking back thinking "I really could've said that differently" and such of that nature.**

**Here's goodbye to _The Dragon's Blade_**

**~Alex**


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